


Finally

by HeadOfSpectre



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pokemon - Freeform, adorable shit my dudes, sun x gladion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 16:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11235237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeadOfSpectre/pseuds/HeadOfSpectre
Summary: A short tale of confession.





	Finally

Gladion remembered this motel. He remembered the smell of the sheets. The letter he’d written almost a thousand times in one of the rooms. He remembered Null scratching desperately at the door, wanting to fight, to explore, to see the world it’d been denied…

            Hard to believe that was a mere two years ago. Since then, everything had changed. People called him ‘President Gladion.’ He’d learned business, mostly from Wicke, but when Mother had recovered, she’d helped where she could. He respected her for that. She seemed to be doing her best to redeem herself, and she’d refused to retake her position as Aether President, instead using her health to resume her original work. Not studying the Ultra Beasts, but pokemon preservation. She was little more than another Employee now, a field worker who barely resembled the woman he’d once loathed.

            He heard rumors of Lillie dominating the Kanto and Johto regions, as well of rumors that she was planning to take Alola next. He wanted to see that battle. He’d challenged the Alolan Champion himself, almost weekly. The boy was tough! His Primarina was absolutely ruthless, and the rest of his team consisted of a variety of ghost, dark and fairy types who put up a hell of a fight! Gladion had come far against him. Silvally had managed to battle him down to just his Banette, but then he’d Mega evolved it… and then Silvally’s ghost memory had become its undoing.

            That’s what led him here, actually. After their last battle, the Champion had approached him, for their usual post battle handshake, smiling as always, and as their hands had met, Gladion felt a piece of paper being pushed into his palm.  
    “Good battle, Gladion!” They said, “Maybe next time, you’re even gonna take the title!”

    “How do you know I want it?” He’d asked, smiling at the boy, “Maybe I just like the chase?”

    “Keep chasing, and you’re gonna end up catching.” He’d replied, pulling away. “See you later!”

            He turned away, heading back to his throne to heal their pokemon, letting their wounded Primarina into the fountain he’d had installed for her to bathe in until it was time to battle.

            Gladion admired that. The way he cared for his pokemon, especially his very first. He looked down at the paper in his hand, frowning at it. It was the address for the motel, and a time.

            He’d looked at that trainer, and then turned to leave.

    “Gladion!” Sun’s voice jolted him out of his thoughts, and he turned over his shoulder to look at him getting closer.  
    “Sun? Hey… I was wondering what you brought me out here for.” He said, before raising an eyebrow. “You’re not trying to train me, are you?” He found himself looking for pokeballs on Sun’s belt. There were a few, but they weren't his usual Pokemon. He typically kept those in premiere balls.  
    “Nah, what would I show you? I’ve been picking up more tips from you than you’ve been picking up from me!” He said, “Actually. I wanted to ask you something…” He paused, looking over at the sunset.  
    “You… um… wanna grab a bite or something?”

    “Hm?”

    “You heard me. Wanna grab a bite.” Sun repeated, “Mallow’s family’s restaurant is on the island. I thought it’d be a good place to go.”

            When the surprise wore off, Gladion found himself confused. He seldom saw Sun outside of a few casual visits to Aether Paradise and their weekly battles. Mother sometimes reported seeing him around the islands and from what he could tell, they had a friendly relationship. Come to think of it… Mother had seemed aloof today… evasive, like she knew something he didn’t, and besides, he’d been studying a lot lately and could use a bite to eat. He’d taken online courses to make himself a more efficient director and scientist. Diligently enough that he hadn’t actually stopped for a bite since breakfast… yesterday morning. It was hard to tell, but from the way Sun was looking at him, he almost felt as if the boy knew that.

            Gladion smiled.  
    “Yeah. That sounds really great!”

            The dinner was excellent. Mallow herself had come out to serve them, chatting up them both the whole while. She needed to be called back into the kitchen a few times. Sun seemed a little relieved when she was gone. He asked about Gladion’s studies, how the Aether Foundation and Silvally were doing. He told him about how the Silvally Gladion had entrusted to him was doing. His words made him happy he’d entrusted Sun with the wellbeing of such an outstanding pokemon.

            Talking to Sun was a lot like battling him actually. It made the stresses of life seem to melt away. He found himself smiling more, laughing more. It was something he’d noticed for a while when he was around the other boy. Gladion wasn’t stupid. He’d figured out soon after he’d left home just where he stood with other guys. It only took a look at the cuter members of Team Skull for him to clue into that, and with Sun, he knew exactly where he stood. But he hadn’t ever imagined saying anything. Sun was one of his closest friends! Plus, there was Lillie to think about. She seemed close with the boy! They even called each other just to talk almost daily and… well… Gladion didn’t want to get in the way…

    “Hey, Gladion!” Sun called, snapping his fingers, “Earth to Gladion. The Ultra Wormhole is closing. Come home!” He smiled as Gladion shook himself from his thoughts.

    “Oh! Heh… sorry…”  
    “It’s fine! You were spacing out. It was kinda cute, but I was thinking of drawing something on your face.”

    “You wouldn’t dare and you know it.” Gladion said knowingly.  
    “Sure about that?” Sun asked, “Go look in the mirror!”

He felt a small stab of panic before Sun started giggling.  
    “Relax! You weren’t THAT spaced out. Something bugging you though? You can talk to me if you need to!”

    “Oh. No, I’m fine. Honestly. Just thinking, I guess. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten out and about. I don’t think I’ve been to Akala since I went back and did my trials properly.”

    “It’s nice to visit.” Sun shrugged, “I like the landscape the most. Maybe one day, I might get a house in Paniola Town. It’s a nice area! Like a Western town!”

   “Wouldn’t it be kind of hard to keep up?” Gladion asked, “Y’know, there’s extra room in the mansion on Aether Paradise. You could always move in.”

    “What, are you lonely in there?” Sun asked, smirking playfully, “I honestly never even thought about living in a mansion. I don’t even know what I’d contribute. I used to help Mom with the housework but…”

    “We’ve got a cleaning staff.” Gladion blurted out, before wishing he hadn’t. Sun just smiled.  
    “Yeah. That’d be nice, but then I’d just feel lazy. Speaking of which, how’re you feeling, now that you’ve really settled back in there?”

    “Not bad.” Gladion admitted, “It’s nice being… well… home again. Mother’s been doing alright. We’ve been getting along alright. I guess I expected it to be going a lot worse.”

     “Sounds like it’s better than alright.” Sun said, “When Lillie finally comes back, you guys can give being a family another shot, can’t you?”

            Gladion’s heart skipped a beat, before he nodded.  
    “I guess. Wouldn’t really be a Family without Dad, but… well. We can make it work. I got an email from Lillie the other day, actually. She’s supposed to be coming in next week.”

    “Better hold on to my throne then.” Sun replied, “I heard from a trainer passing by the other day that she’s a real force to be reckoned with…” He thought on it for a few moments, his smile fading, before giving Gladion a more serious look.

    “If she’s coming back so soon, you mind if I showed you something after dinner?”

    “Sure, if you want.”

    “Great! I want your opinion on something really important!”

            With that said, Sun worked on rushing through his meal. Whatever it was, it must have been something he couldn’t wait for.

            After they’d eaten, Sun had left quickly, going to a pokemon center and coming out with three new pokeballs. One was familiar. A dusk ball, marked with a moon sticker. That was Nebby’s ball. The second and third were just ordinary pokeballs.

    “Here, let’s head down to the beachfront. Nobody’ll see us there.” Sun said, his voice a little calmer. He gestured for Gladion to follow him, and when they reached the beach, he gave Nebby’s ball a toss, letting the Lunala free, to explore the area. The large batlike legendary pokemon regarded Gladion gleefully, swooping joyously over him in recognition before soaring higher into the sky to play.

            Sun watched it with a smile, turning the other pokeball over in his hands.  
    “I wanted to give Lillie something when she came back. I wasn’t sure if it would be Nebby, or…”

            He tossed the pokeball, releasing the second pokemon. Gladion’s eyes widened when he recognized a Cosmog on the beach.  
    “Where did you find that… How?”

    “On the Alter of the Moone. Must’ve been summoned from an Ultra Wormhole. Nebby really liked it, so I took the little fella in. I don’t have as much time to play with them as I’d like though… so I thought, maybe Lillie or… well, you.” He paused, “One of you might like them. You could use them in your research. I know you wouldn’t hurt them.”

            Gladion shook his head.  
    “I wouldn’t… but, I wouldn’t trust it around Mother… she’s better, but I worry. Give it to Lillie.”

    “You’re sure?” Sun asked, and Gladion nodded.

    “I’m sure.” He said, and Sun withdrew the Cosmog, after giving it an affectionate pat.  
    “Alright… well then, this is for you.” He took the second pokeball, and offered it to him.  
    “What’s in there? A Solgaleo?” Gladion asked.  
    “What? No! Just look in the ball!”

Gladion took it, and gave it a light toss, eyes widening as he saw a young Popplio appear, then eagerly hop towards him.  
    “If you won’t take Nebby Jr. You can have this little one!”

    “Why?” Gladion asked, kneeling down to meet the Popplio, who eagerly snuggled into his arms.  
    “Couple of reasons. Firstly, you really need to lighten up.” Sun said, his smile returning. “Second, Silvally really means a lot to me. I wanted to give something to you too, and third…”

            He knelt down beside Gladion and Popplio.

    “Well, I love you.”

            His hands were full. He couldn’t resist when Sun leaned in to kiss him, and frankly, he didn’t WANT to resist! The kiss felt so good! So right! He found himself leaning into it, savoring every last second until their lips parted.

            Sun was still smiling, and he laughed quietly.  
   “You’ve really changed since the day we’ve met… and I just can’t stop thinking about the person you’ve become… and who you’re probably gonna be one day. You told me that we weren’t friends, but we also weren’t enemies, and ever since that day, I’ve been trying to figure out what you are to me. Now I know, and I know what I want you to be.”

            Gladion’s mind was nothing but a blur as he heard Sun say those words. This had to be a dream. He’d wake up in bed, sweaty and alone! But he didn’t seem to wake up at all…

            He shifted the Popplio’s weight, and reached up to cup Sun’s cheek.  
    “You mean that?” He asked.  
    “Yeah. I do.” Sun promised, “I really do. So… I guess what I’m asking is, what do you say?”

            Gladion pulled him into another kiss. That was his answer.

            A week later, both boys stood on the pier, watching a ship come in, and their hands clasped together.

            The gangplank was lowered, and they saw a familiar face dismounting. Lillie almost came running out of the ship, and when she saw them, she stopped in her tracks, staring at their fingers, laced together, before slowly she started to smile.

    “You told him? FINALLY!” 

**Author's Note:**

> Another short thing I wrote for a friend, the mun of beautiful-lusamine. He got me into shipping this pairing, and so I wrote a cute fluffy thing for the fun of it, and I'm reposting it here. Hope some other fans of this ship enjoy it too. 
> 
> I'll just be off in my corner writing my much anticipated sequel to that other little fic where a fucking alien bursts out of Lillies back. This time, it's gonna be an alien outta Gladions chest! How fun! 
> 
> I'm joking.  
> Maybe.


End file.
